Provost lifts moratorium on tenured-track faculty searches

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Tom DiLorenzo, following close collaboration with and input from faculty and deans, recently announced the end of a moratorium on tenure-track searches for hire at the University of North Dakota.

In support of this move, the Provost worked closely with the University Senate Budget Committee and the Deans Council to develop an updated template to be used, before recruitment, when requesting authorization for tenured-track faculty hires. The new template, with justification for positions (Justification for Position Recruitment), would need to be completed and submitted to the Provost for approval of the position.

The Provost would like to thank the Senate Budget Committee, the Deans and others who helped to develop the template and for their collaborative spirit throughout the process.

The lifting of the moratorium is exciting as it allows the University more flexibility to apply investments and resources toward strategic goals and to drive opportunity by solving state, national and global problems with high-end competitive research and creative scholarly activity.

Another example of UND Administration’s dedication to tenured faculty took place in February when UND President Mark Kennedy and Provost DiLorenzo argued against proposed changes to State Board of Higher Education policy reducing the notification period for termination of tenured faculty members from 12 months to 90 days. Though the amended policy eventually was approved by the SBHE, the President and Provost kept the policy unchanged at UND.

“As the state’s flagship research university, we recognize a defense of our tenure protections is necessary for retaining and recruiting quality faculty,” The President and Provost said in a joint statement at the time.